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Writing an Essay on Theme

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  • Grade 4 ELA Module 4, Unit 2, Lesson 15

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4th Grade Writing Prompts

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theme essay 4th grade

Students in fourth grade need varied practice in developing their writing skills. According to the Common Core State Standards Initiative, fourth-grade writing should consist of opinion pieces, informative or explanatory texts, narratives about real or imagined experiences, and short research projects. 

The following writing prompts offer diverse forms of inspiration for every student.

Opinion Essay Writing Prompts

In an opinion essay , students must state an opinion and back it up with facts and reasons . Ideas should be organized logically and supported by details.

Here are some great topics for writing an opinion essay.

  • Best Friends Forever. Write an essay explaining what makes your best friend the best best friend. 
  • Awesomeness.  Describe the most awesome thing about being in fourth grade.
  • New Worlds. Would you rather help start a colony on a new planet or a city under the ocean? Why?
  • School Food. Name one thing you would like to change about your school’s menu and explain why.
  • Someday. If you could be a race car driver, an astronaut, or president of a country, which would you choose and why?
  • Cityscapes . If you had a friend visit from another state, what is the one place in your city you would insist he or she had to see? What makes this place so special?
  • Shipwrecked. You find yourself stranded on a deserted island with only three items in your backpack. What would you want those items to be and why?
  • Flat Earth. Some people still believe that the Earth is flat . Do you agree or disagree? Include supporting facts.
  • Extra! Extra! Name one class, sport, or club you wish your school offered and explain why it should be available.
  • Seasons. Which season is your favorite and why?
  • One-star . What is the worst book you have ever read and what made it so terrible?
  • Fandom. Who is your favorite TV, movie, or music star? What makes him or her the best?
  • Progress.  Identify a way in which you would like to improve as a student this school year. Explain why you would like to get better and list some steps you can take to make it happen.

Informative Essay Writing Prompts

When writing an informative or explanatory essay, students should introduce the topic clearly, and then develop the topic with facts and details. When explaining a process, prompt students to outline the steps in a logical order.

Encourage your fourth graders to build their essay-writing skills using these topic ideas.

  • Bullied. Explain how you would handle being bullied and the steps you would take to stop a bully.
  • Mad Skills. Describe an unusual talent, hobby, or skill that you possess.
  • Cuisine. Describe a food that is unique to your family or area of the world to someone who has never tasted it.
  • Role Model. Think of a person who has made an impact on your life and describe the role they have played.
  • Pay It Forward. What is one thing you would like to do—either now or in the future—to make the world a better place?
  • Packing. Explain the most effective way to pack for a trip to ensure that you have everything you need.
  • Wild Kingdom. Of all the animals wild or domesticated, write about your favorite. Include interesting facts about this animal in your essay.
  • Gaming. Explain how to play your favorite video or board game to someone who has never played it before.
  • Problematic. Describe a problem you are facing and three ways you could possibly solve it.
  • Extreme Weather. Choose an extreme weather condition or a natural disaster , such as a tornado or a volcanic eruption. Explain its causes and effects.
  • Sweet Treats. Explain the process of making your favorite dessert.
  • Learning Styles. Think of the way you prefer to learn, such as by reading, listening, or doing. Explain why you think you learn best that way.
  • Edison. Thomas Edison said that he did not make mistakes, he just learned 10,000 ways not to make a light bulb. Describe a mistake you made and the lesson you learned from it.

Narrative Essay Writing Prompts

When writing narrative essays about real or imagined experiences, students should use descriptive details and logical sequence. They can incorporate dialogue and sensory details to develop their essay .

The following are some writing prompts for narrative essays.

  • Microscopic Details. Imagine being microscopic. Describe an adventurous trip through your body.
  • Alone. You find yourself locked in your favorite store alone overnight. Where are you and what do you do?
  • Homeless. A friendly stray dog follows you home from school. What happens next?
  • Time Travel. Imagine you could travel back in time to when your mom or dad was your age. Write an essay about your relationship with your fourth-grade parent.
  • Mismatched. Write a story about someone your age. The story must include a giraffe, a mouse, a flying carpet, and a large birdcage.
  • Pet Peeve.  Recount a moment when something really got on your nerves. Describe the experience and why it irritated you so much.
  • Surprise! Think of a time your teacher surprised your class. Describe what happened and how the class reacted.
  • Special Moments. Think of a specific day or event that you will always remember. What made it so special?
  • Travel Through History. Imagine you could travel back in time to live through one event from history . Describe the event and write about your experience.
  • The Most Terrible Day. Write an essay about a day when everything went wrong. How did the day start and end, describe the experience.
  • Road Trip. Write about a favorite family vacation or road trip. Where did you go? What made it special?
  • Funny Pet Tricks.  Can your pet do a funny or unusual trick? Describe it.
  • President. If you could be president for a day (or the principal of your school), what would you do?

Research Project Essay Writing Prompts

Fourth-grade students should also complete short research projects using books, magazines, and online sources . Ask students to take notes and provide a list of the sources they used in their research.

Below are several research project prompts to give your students inspiration for a narrative essay.

  • New Puppy. You want a new puppy. Do some research to determine the best breed for your family and write about it.
  • Battles . Research and write about what you consider the most significant or famous battle in history.
  • Famous People. Choose a famous person from history or science and write about his or her life and contributions.
  • Animal Kingdom. Select an animal to research. Include facts about its behavior, habitat, and diet.
  • Countries. Choose a country. Investigate its culture and holidays, and find out what life there is like for kids your age.
  • States. Pick a state you have never visited. Learn three to five unique facts about the state to include in your essay.
  • Inventions. What do you think is the greatest or most useful invention of all time? Find out who invented it and how and why it was invented.
  • Native Americans. Choose a Native American tribe. Learn about where its members lived, its culture, and its use of natural resources in their area.
  • Endangered Species. Research and write about an animal that is endangered. Include facts about why it is endangered and any changes that people can make to help increase its population.
  • Fine Arts. Learn more about an artist or composer. Include facts about his or her life and death and details about the artist's most well-known works.
  • Authors. Research an author whose books you enjoy. Include facts about what inspired him or her to start writing.
  • Dig Deeper.  Research something you have studied in history, science, or literature but would like to know more about.
  • State Standouts. Choose a famous person from your state. Learn about his or her life and contributions.
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How to Find the Theme of the Story – 4th Grade

By Rissa Hanneken Updated September 22, 2023

Teaching theme of the story begins in 3rd grade when students focus more on the story’s central message or lesson. It’s a great place to start, but 4th graders must do much more. They must learn how to find the theme in a story, drama, or poem and write a summary about it. So, how do we level up our students to the demands of the 4th-grade standard?

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Citing Text Evidence Opt In

How do you explain the theme of the story to a fourth grader?

Theme is defined as the central message or lesson the author is trying to convey through the story. It’s what the author wants us as readers to learn or take away from the story . It might be love, friendship, bravery, or accepting differences.

It helps kids understand the theme of the story if you can give them examples from books you have read to them or with them. Here are two popular read-aloud books I like to use:

  • A Bad Case of Stripes: The theme of peer pressure and fitting in is the overall theme in this fun book about a girl who turns into whatever someone says.
  • Because of Winn-Dixie: The main character finds friendship and forgiveness when she moves to a new town with her father.

This theme anchor chart lists examples that can be very helpful when trying to teach theme of the story to 4th graders.

theme of the story

How do you teach students to find the theme of the story?

One of the best ways I have found to help students learn to find the theme of a story is to give them specific tools like this list of steps and graphic organizers that will help them.

Both of these anchor charts are perfect for an introduction to theme and teacher modeling of the steps before students begin reading.

At this point, students have had experience with:

  • #1: Determining the important events in the plot
  • #3: Learning about the characters

What has been added is:

  • #2: Identifying the big ideas
  • #4: Writing a summary that reveals the theme

This is a skill that teachers need to model. Students will need several attempts at discovering the big ideas to really understand the concept.

Teaching Theme Activities for 4th Grade

Using close reading strategies as a basis for this lesson includes 1st and 2nd readings of the text. This helps to break down the story and the steps into manageable and understandable chunks for students.

1st Read Activities:

During the first reading, I want students to do three things:

  • Get the gist of the story
  • Jot down details they think are important (in the margins)
  • Identify the main character and their traits

For this purpose, students are given guiding questions to refer to during reading and a Reading Notes Activity to complete after reading.

theme of the story

2nd Reading Activities

Now that students have gotten the gist of the story and the characters, it’s time to read the text again and focus on the big ideas of the plot that will lead them to discover the theme of the story.

Students will:

  • Reread the story and add notes in the margins as necessary.
  • Complete the story plot map.
  • Students can use the story plot map to help them determine the Big Idea from each part of the story.
  • By focusing on the common elements in those big ideas, students can infer the story’s theme.

theme of the story

Checking for Understanding with Reading Comprehension Questions

These reading comprehension questions are an effective way for you to check students’ understanding of the story and their ability to cite text evidence for their responses at the end of the lesson.

theme of the story

If your students need help citing text evidence – grab this FREE resource!

If you need help teaching them how to cite text evidence – check out this post that explains it!

Writing to Summarize the Story

One of the demands of the 4th-grade standard is that they must be able to summarize the story and include the theme fo the story. This directed summary will help them learn how to do this effectively if they include the elements listed at the top.

theme essay 4th grade

Teaching themes can feel difficult, but it can also open up amazing discussions with your students that will be enlightening and gratifying! They learn life perspectives when they identify themes, so guide them as they learn this important 4th grade standard – but also enjoy it!

The resource I used in this post: Theme – Reading Passage, Graphic Organizer, Anchor Charts, Questions – 4th Grade. It’s a fun story about Taro and a turtle that takes him on an underwater adventure!

This resource is perfect for a 2-3 day lesson on finding the theme of the story for 4th grade. If you want a step-by-step lesson you can use for guided reading, this post can help!

theme of the story

Teaching 4th grade reading is an exciting process that includes many fun and engaging lessons! Learn more about using character development and how students can compare the points of view of characters in stories in these posts.

The most valuable resource that all teachers have is each other. Without collaboration our growth is limited to our own perspectives. Robert John Meehan

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How to Write A 4th Grade Level Essay

When your child gets to fourth grade, they should already be familiar with writing prompts and how to go about answering them, but they will still need to practice. According to the Common Core State Standards Initiative, there are four basic writing prompts for fourth grade students : opinion pieces, informative or explanatory texts, narratives, and short research projects.

Opinion Prompt

Opinion pieces require your child to think about how they feel about a certain idea or topic and back up their thoughts with facts and logical arguments. An example of an opinion prompt is something like this: Name one class, sport, or club you wish your school offered and explain why it should be available. To answer this, your child first has to come up with an activity and describe how it is beneficial to them or for students as a whole, then come up with a convincing argument on why it should be offered at their school.

For example, they may want to have a book club at their school. To be persuasive, they may explain that it would be helpful to students who love reading, but may not enjoy whatever books they are assigned in class. It would also allow for students to discuss their ideas and feelings about a book they are choosing, building their appreciation for reading in general. The essay would need to be well-organized, and although it may not be a convincing proposal, the ideas should be clearly stated and logical.

Informative Prompt

Informative essays are the most straightforward, where they have to introduce and detail something about a topic. An example of an informative essay would be something like this: Write about your favorite animal. Include interesting facts about this animal in your essay. To answer this, your child will have to pick an animal they like and write about it in detail. This would include things like their habitat, behavior, physical features, and any other facts about them.

For example, they may write about lions, describing their fur and manes, their habitat in the African savannah, how they hunt their prey, and how they raise their cubs. Organization is an important part of this essay; there shouldn’t just be a list of facts, but instead well-constructed paragraphs, like one for their description, one for their hunting behavior, and so on.

Narrative Prompt

A narrative essay will be a story, either real or imagined, they have to tell clearly and with detail. An example of a narrative essay would be like this: If you were the president of the United States for a day, what would you do? To answer this prompt, they would likely detail a full day from start to finish, including a variety of activities that are relevant to this position of power. The things they would do don’t have to be particularly life-changing or politically logical, but they should follow a logical order and make sense for the president.

For example, they may write about how they would spend the morning meeting with all the leaders of the world, have a very fancy lunch in the White House, spend the afternoon making homework illegal, and then sleep in the biggest bed the White House has to offer. Again, these things don’t have to be super impactful, but they should make sense and be an organized story. Their response should include dialogue, such as themselves as the president talking to other leaders or their staff.

Research Prompt

Research projects will require your child to consult sources like books, magazines, or online resources to find out about a topic and then report on it. An example of a research essay would be something like this: Choose a famous person from history or science and write about their lives and contributions. As the name suggests, this prompt requires your child to research a certain person and write about their life. The essay can be organized chronologically, like from this person’s birth, to their career and what they’re famous for, to their death or retirement.

Again, there should not just be a list of facts; your child should write about this person in full paragraphs. Something to keep in mind is that although it can be tempting for your child to Google their chosen person, they may not yet have the skills to know which online sources are legitimate or not. The best way for them to do research is through books or journals, with online sources there to help a bit.

The essential thing about all these prompts is they require a lot more detail and organization than your child has previously needed to give. If your child is having a hard time with their prompts, or with just one kind, a good idea is to enroll them in Reading Genie. At Reading Genie, the teachers provide a variety of engaging prompts for your child to practice writing and give helpful feedback. They will also have the opportunity to have peer reviews with their classmates, building their confidence while showing them where they need to improve.

These prompts can be a lot of fun for your child, even as they get more challenging. Feel free to discuss these topics with your child, or even write responses to the prompts with them. Practice is the best way for them to improve, and you can have fun with them!

Genie Academy offers a range of after-school educational activities for students, encompassing areas such as mathematics, reading, writing, and coding. Held at our New Jersey tutoring centers , our New Jersey writing tutoring program is specifically crafted for students from Pre-Kindergarten to 8th grade. Learn more about our writing tutoring classes in East Brunswick , writing tutoring classes in Hillsborough , writing tutoring classes in Marlboro , writing tutoring classes in South Brunswick , writing tutoring classes in Plainsboro , and writing tutoring classes in South Plainfield . 

Source: https://www.thoughtco.com/writing-prompts-fourth-grade-4172492

Topics: Essay , Writing Skills , Fourth Grader , paragraph writing , Writing Prompt

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theme essay 4th grade

4 Fabulous Ideas for Teaching Theme

Teaching theme in fourth grade is not easy, but it is very rewarding to see the students’ little light bulbs come on! In my experience, students need many opportunities to find theme in stories, and I love giving my students a variety of ways to do this.

theme essay 4th grade

 Picture Books

To introduce the concept of theme, I love using picture books. Using picture books as model text is one of my favorite things to do in reading, and for me, it is a great way to introduce theme. Some of my favorite picture books for teaching them include:

theme essay 4th grade

Anchor Charts

theme essay 4th grade

After reading aloud Sister Anne’s Hands, the students and I worked together to chart the character’s words and actions, our inference, and the author’s message of the story. This modeling activity helped my students tremendously in understanding and finding theme. This year, I actually began teaching theme by reading this book aloud to the class as a model text. We discussed and “turned and talked” throughout the story. we then worked together to create the anchor chart. Finally, I paired up the students and gave each pair the books that I listed above (in #1). After partner reading the picture books, students worked together to create charts in their journals similar to the chart above.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Free-Theme-Journal-Reference-Page-2832634

Theme Songs

theme essay 4th grade

Graphic Organizers

theme essay 4th grade

I hope you found these ideas helpful for your own classroom! Thanks so much for dropping by, and have a blessed day!

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Teaching Theme in 4th Grade – 5 Fun & Exciting Tips

These 5 tips for teaching theme in fourth grade will help you with this hard to grasp reading skill.

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ELA is so much fun to teach. Reading short stories, fables, and novels with your class is such an amazing experience. Your students have likely experienced a few years of learning about summarizing, main idea and inferencing. But identifying the theme might be something fairly new for them in fourth grade. Here are 5 tips for teaching theme in 4th grade that will help your students master this important concept.

These 5 tips for teaching theme in 4th grade will help you with this hard to grasp reading skill.

Teaching Theme in 4th Grade

Help students learn and understand theme by creating a theme bulletin board or anchor chart with these ready to print theme posters

Theme is the moral, lesson, or message of the story. It is the BIG IDEA. Note that this should be differentiated from the main idea that students have already learned about. When first introducing the concept of theme it’s important to create an anchor chart or reference tool for students. These Theme in Literature Posters include everything you need. Print these posters and use them on a bulletin board, on chart paper, or copy in a smaller size so students can put them into their notebook. They are perfect for referencing the concept of theme all year long.

Here’s a great way to guide students to finding the theme: while reading have your students ask themselves what the author is trying to portray repeatedly throughout the story. Have them pay attention to the characters actions and words to help them find out.

Themes help the reader to connect the story to real life. Students are able to relate to characters and their struggles through the use of theme. Some common themes used throughout literature are:

Introducing students to the most common themes like kindness, acceptance, honesty and friendship will help them when learning the concept of theme

  • Perseverance
  • Cooperation
  • Responsibility

See how this is really a BIG IDEA! It’s an over-arching broad topic as opposed to something that is story specific. Sometimes theme can be a hard skill for younger students to grasp because it is so abstract. With the use of different strategies, your students will have it down in to time at all. Here are 5 tips for teaching theme in 4th grade.

#1 Teaching Theme with Fables

Fables are a great way to introduce the concept of theme

Fables are a great place to start when teaching theme. Why? Well, fables usually have a very clear lesson or moral. This generally lines up with the theme and makes it easier for students to learn and understand what theme it. They make it easier for students to understand exactly what theme is and be able to identify them in a story because they are shorter in nature. And . . . since they aren’t as overwhelming as longer stories they make great examples for mini-lessons and guided practice.

These fable based theme reading passages will provide your students with focused theme practice. They are a great addition to those first lessons on theme when students are just learning this concept. They are also a great place to go when you have students struggling with the concept of theme too!

#2 Theme Graphic Organizer

This theme graphic organizer is a great tool to help guide students as think through identifying the theme - perfect for teaching theme in fourth grade

Graphic organizers are a great tool in the classroom. They are generally structured in a way that they help to guide student thinking about a specific skill or concept. Graphic organizers can be used when teaching theme too! In this Theme Graphic Organizer students don’t just stop with identifying the theme, but they are challenged to find evidence from the text to support it. This is a great way for them to check their theme choice and make sure it is supported by the story.

Graphic organizers can be completed together as a class or individually by each student. They can be a stand alone worksheet activity or added to a students reading journal or interactive notebook. This graphic organizer also makes a great theme focused reading response activity for independent reading time.

#3 Theme Mini-Book

Students can identify the theme, the text evidence and illustrate the theme with this mini book

Mini-books are a fun spin on graphic organizers. They provide the same theme content but in a different form. Sometimes it is as simple as changing up the format of an activity to really engage students attention. In this theme mini-book students will identify what the theme is, provide text based evidence, and even add an illustration.

The foldable book is super easy to make with no cutting or stapling required. It’s definitely something your students will be able to complete independently! It’s a great addition to a class novel study or with independent reading.

#4 Theme Foldables

This theme graphic organizer is a great addition to an interactive notebook. Students learn to identify text evidence to support the theme - perfect for teaching theme in fourth grade

Foldables are great to use in interactive notebooks or reading journals. They are another hands on activity that has a high engagement rate. We can use foldable to teach and practice theme. By incorporating foldables into a reading notebook, students have a great reference tool that they can use in the future too!

A great thing about teaching theme in 4th grade is that it’s not the activity that needs to change, but rather the story or book. Students can repeat the same foldable for different books or stories in order to gain a deeper understanding of theme and how it changes.

#5 Incorporating Theme into Writing

Take students thinking skills to a higher level as they apply what they learned about theme in their own writing with this guided writing activity.

Once you feel like your students have a pretty good grasp on what theme is, you can ramp up the thinking skills. Have students apply what they know about theme into their own writing! After digging into a variety of stories and hunting for text evidence, your students will love trying to weave a theme into their own story.

This Guided Theme Writing Activity will help them plan out their story and their theme. It’s no easy task to weave a theme into a story, but your students will love the challenge. After writing, share the stories and let class take a guess as to the theme the student author was trying to include.

Fun & Exciting Resources for Teaching Theme in 4th Grade

All of these fun activities for theme can be found in my Teaching Theme packet. All five of these activities are included and ready to use. Not only can they be used with your initial lessons on theme, but the activities can be used again and again throughout the year as students practice identifying the theme.

Theme Worksheets

If you like these ideas for teaching theme in 4th grade, then you will also love these reading bundles filled with similar activities for other reading concepts like author’s purpose and figurative language. Grab these reading bundles and be prepared for all your reading instruction needs this year!

These reading posters will help you teach a variety of reading skills and concepts and create reference tools for students to use all year long.

Save these ideas for Teaching Theme in Fourth Grade!

Pin this to your favorite ELA Pinterest board so you can come back the next time you need a fresh, new activity for teaching theme to your fourth grade students.

theme essay 4th grade

Shelly Rees

Hi, I’m Shelly! Thank you for being here. I love helping third, fourth, and fifth grade teachers with fun and engaging activities that require no to little prep! Let me help you by taking some of the stress and work off your plate.

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  • ELA G4:M4:U2:L14

End-of-Unit 2 Assessment: Writing a Literary Essay about a Theme in The Hope Chest

In this lesson, daily learning targets, ongoing assessment.

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Supporting English Language Learners

Universal design for learning, closing & assessments, you are here:.

  • ELA Grade 4
  • ELA G4:M4:U2

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These are the CCS Standards addressed in this lesson:

  • RL.4.1: Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
  • RL.4.2: Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text.
  • W.4.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
  • W.4.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
  • W.4.6: With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of one page in a single sitting.
  • W.4.9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
  • W.4.9a: Apply grade 4 Reading standards to literature (e.g., "Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text [e.g., a character's thoughts, words, or actions].").
  • I can write a literary essay about a theme in  The Hope Chest . (RL.4.1, RL.4.2, W.4.2, W.4.4, W.4.6)
  • End-of-Unit 2 Assessment: Writing a Literary Essay about a Theme in The Hope Chest (RL.4.1, RL.4.2, W.4.2, W.4.4, W.4.6)
  • Tracking Progress: Informative Writing (W.2)
AgendaTeaching Notes

A. Returning Mid-Unit 2 Assessments (5 minutes)

B. Reviewing Learning Target (5 minutes)

A. End-of-Unit 2 Assessment: Writing a Literary Essay about a Theme in (40 minutes)

A. Tracking Progress (10 minutes)

A. Accountable Research Reading. Select a prompt and respond in the front of your independent reading journal.

for the end of unit assessment

. In this assessment, they choose a different theme to write about.

. All other assessment materials (student copy, answer key, student exemplar) are included in the Assessment Overview and Resources.

  • Provide feedback on students' Mid-Unit 2 Assessments in preparation for returning them in Opening A.
  • End-of-Unit 2 Assessment (see Assessment Overview and Resources)
  • Technology necessary for students to word-process their essays (see Technology and Multimedia).
  • Gather Tracking Progress folders.
  • Post: Learning targets and applicable anchor charts (see materials list).

Tech and Multimedia

  • Work Time A: Prepare technology and tools necessary for students to word-process their essays, one device per student.
  • Continue to use the technology tools recommended throughout Modules 1-3 to create anchor charts to share with families; to record students as they participate in discussions and protocols to review with students later and to share with families; and for students to listen to and annotate text, record ideas on note-catchers, and word-process writing.

Supports guided by in part by CA ELD Standards 4.1.B.6, 4.1.C.10, 4.1.C.11, 4.1.C.12, 4.II.A.1, 4.II.A.2, 4.II.C.6, and 4.II.C.7

Important points in the lesson itself

  • The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs by inviting them to complete assessment tasks similar to the classroom tasks completed in Lessons 9-13.
  • ELLs may find the assessment challenging. Encourage students to consult classroom resources and give them specific, positive feedback on the progress they've made learning English.
  • Allow students to review note-catchers, the Academic and Domain-Specific Word Walls, and vocabulary logs and other classroom resources.
  • Ensure ELLs understand the assessment directions. Answer their questions, refraining from supplying answers to the assessment questions themselves (see additional support in the lesson).
  • After the assessment, ask students to discuss which assessment task was easiest and which was most difficult, and why.
  • Multiple Means of Representation (MMR): Continue to support students as they generalize skills and make connections to what they learned from this unit in order to set themselves up for success on the end-of-unit assessment.
  • Multiple Means of Action and Expression (MMAE): Continue to support students in setting appropriate goals for their effort and the level of difficulty expected during the unit assessment.
  • Multiple Means of Engagement (MME): Continue to encourage self-regulatory skills by helping students anticipate and manage frustration by modeling what to do if they need help or "get stuck" during the assessment. Recall that offering these supports for engagement promotes a conducive learning space for all students.

Key:  Lesson-Specific Vocabulary (L); Text-Specific Vocabulary (T); Vocabulary Used in Writing (W)

  •  Do not preview vocabulary for this assessment lesson.
  • Mid-Unit 2 Assessment: Summarizing Events in a Chapter (from Lesson 8; one per student; returned with feedback during Opening A)
  • End-of-Unit 2 Assessment: Writing a Literary Essay about a Theme in The Hope Chest (one per student and one to display; see Assessment Overview and Resources)
  • Working to Become Effective Learners anchor chart (begun in Module 1)
  • Model Literary Essay: "Do Something Meaningful" (from Lesson 9; one per student)
  • Informative Writing Checklist (from Lesson 9; one per student)
  • Theme anchor charts (begun in Unit 1, Lesson 6)
  • Summarizing The Hope Chest , Chapters 8-14 (from Lessons 1-7; one of each per student)
  • Tracking Progress folders (from Module 1; one per student)
  • Tracking Progress: Informative Writing: Module 4 (one per student)
  • Sticky notes (eight per student)

Materials from Previous Lessons

New materials.

Each unit in the 3-5 Language Arts Curriculum has two standards-based assessments built in, one mid-unit assessment and one end of unit assessment. The module concludes with a performance task at the end of Unit 3 to synthesize their understanding of what they accomplished through supported, standards-based writing.

OpeningMeeting Students' Needs

in a Chapter with feedback, and follow the same routine established in Modules 1-3 for students to review feedback and write their name on the board if they require teacher support.

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs
(40 minutes)

and read aloud the prompt and instructions. and remind them specifically of perseverance, because they will be working independently to complete the assessment in this lesson. , Chapters 8-14

 

, and to choose and orally share the theme they will focus on for this assessment
ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

and

 

HomeworkMeeting Students' Needs

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essay-for-class-4-kids-most-common-essay-writing-topics

Essay for Class 4 Children in English | Essay Topics for 4th Grade Students

Essay Writing enhances your thinking capability to put your perception in words. It’s not an easy job to think of a topic and frame sentences on it. Thus, to make your struggle easy we have compiled Frequently Asked Essays for Class 4 all in one place. Prepare whichever topic you want from the list and get different ideas. To make it easy for you we have written the 4th Standard English Essays in a simple language.

List of Essay Topics of Class 4

Explore our collection of most common essays for 4th Grade Children. You will have both Short & Long Essays written on different topics to give you the necessary ideas. You will also find the 10 Lines Essays on numerous topics from here that will help you improve your writing skills. Read them and bring out the imagination in you and write essays on your own for your speeches or competitions.

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FAQs on Essay for Class 4

1. How Can I Improve my Essay Writing Skills?

Make an outline of what you want to write before you begin and use the right vocabulary. Analyze the topic and know how to write the introduction, body, and conclusion.

2. How do you Start an Essay?

The Most Common Way to Start an Essay is to Introduce Your Topic.

3. Where do I find the List of Frequently Asked Essay Topics for Grade 4 Students?

You can find the List of Frequently Asked Essay Topics for Grade 4 Students on our page.

Hoping the information shed regarding Essay for Class 4 has been useful to you. If you want anything to be added to the list feel free to reach us via the comment box. Stay in touch with our site Worksheetsbuddy.com for the latest info on Essays of different Classes.

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The theme of a story is a message that the author is trying to express. The author does not explicitly state the theme. To discover the theme, the reader must make some deductions concerning events in the story.

Identifying the theme of a story can be challenging. Fortunately, as with all reading skills, practice makes perfect. These theme worksheets will help students achieve mastery of this essential reading skill. I recommend starting with the theme PowerPoint lesson posted below. Also, you may be interested in my advice on teaching theme .

This is a preview image of Theme Lesson 1. Click on it to enlarge it or view the source file.

I hope that these theme resources help students meet learning goals.

This is a photo of a young woman reading a book. She appears to be in deep concentration. Letters are pouring out of the books and surrounding her.

Theme Common Core State Standards

188 comments.

Thank you so much for all these resources. I find them very useful when it comes to teaching my students.

Genevieve G

I love your site. Thank you for the free resources to use with my students. I really appreciate you providing them.

Thank you! during my winter break I have been reading your worksheet and powerpoint which will help me when I return. I am a beginners teacher. ELA/ICR teacher. Again thank you. Just what I needed.

editha galo

Thank you very much, you relly of big help to us

And – to add – this is an awesome resource. Thank you so much for sharing it!

How do you find the students’ results? Not sure where to find report if there is one? Thanks!!

They have to send them to you. I will look into the Classroom API again soon, but last I checked, I couldn’t do what you and I both want it to do.

Stephanie Hampton

I really appreciate having a resource like this! It makes lesson-planning so much easier, especially when you can edit the resources to differentiate for students. Thank you so much for all of this!

The useful website

Lily (Student)

I love this site because it tells you everything we need. I think this is a pretty neat website, thank you.

Hi, I was wondering could you send me a full sample essay about the theme so I could get a better understanding of it. Thank you.

Quintrell Williams

fourth grade Time for themessage Key-theme

Analie S. Canete

Thank you so much for helping me be ready to teach my students. It’s a big help that makes my work easier and more effective! God Bless!

Thank you for the blessings!

Alan Chacon

could you please provide an answer key to these lessons because I can’t tell if I am correct with my inferences. I understand how to identify them a little better, but if I knew I was correct it would help me and maybe some others with how they should think and if they are in the correct mindset It would help them indulge in positive reinforcement please read this and consider others learning process in your decision.

There are answer keys. Click the links that say “View Answers” underneath the assignment sheets.

mariecel reynes

the objective of my lesson is to explain how the elements build its theme, would you mind to please provide me materials for the evaluation of my lesson.tnx much

I loved these passages and powerpoint! I used them for my fourth grade class and they were right on target for their level. Thank you!

I want to express my gratitude to you for providing these wonderful resources-free of charge! I love visiting your site.

In our lessons we are studying the difference between moral and the theme but in your pdf s it kinda says that there are the same thing. so what is the difference between them. Thank you 🙂

They are similar, but a moral is usually explicitly stated, where a thematic statement is implied.

Antonio Soto

at first i thought this would be a bad website, but now i stand corrected this site has helped me and my classmate with numerous amounts of classwork and homework

Mourad Romdhani

A very helpful course for both student and teacher. Thank you very much for such high quality lessons.

Thank you very much for the great resources. I’ve been engaged with searching for such materials very long! and they are helpful for me and my class at school. And thank you for the great website!!

Nick Muzekari

I will be teaching an online short story class this summer for the first time. I’m new to this and so am looking for material to help myself and the students. I believe I will get paid for teaching the class so I am asking permission to use EReading materials since I really love them and want to use them in the class. May I have permission?

hi Mr.Morton. i am having trouble on a theme packet that my teacher assigned me for homework . i do not understand what a theme is. can you help me??????

Theme is the message of a story, the lesson that the author intends to impart through his or her story. So, read the story and ask yourself, is there a lesson to be learned here? Put that lesson into words, and you can say that you have found a theme in the story. Best wishes!

Jennifer Reed

After reading the comments, they struck home for me. My colleagues and I are always discussing the definition of theme. For me, I think it is fair to differentiate for the student between universal and literary theme.

I make sure to talk to students about the definition of Universal Theme, one word, and the literary theme described here. Sometimes my at-risk students have to zero in on the one word before they can get to the generalization. If not, I end up with a main idea or plot summary instead.

I hope this helps, or adds to the discussion.

Great contribution. Thank you.

Denise Ramos

I appreciate these lessons and the guidance you provide! I am a beginning teacher, and I feel frazzled at times about how to put things, but your resources are very helpful. I was wondering, how did you become so good at creating lessons? Were there any books that helped you? Or was it time and practice that helped you organize your plans and lessons so well?

I like to think that I have a way of getting to the point. I can’t recommend any books or resources that helped me out in any significant way. I can only point to the amazing teachers who inspired me and helped me grow. I’ve worked at some pretty messed up schools, but no matter how bad things were at times, there were always amazing people doing amazing things. I will never be the superb disciplinarian that Mrs. Smith, Mr. Dillard, or Mr. Tang were, but I’ve taken a little piece of them with me. I will never be as organized or as motivating as Mr. Phoenix was with his students, but I carry a little piece of him with me.

Find the teachers that inspire you. Fight to observe them. Take what you can.

That’s pretty much the best advice that I can give you about that topic.

Thank you for visiting my site and posing such an interesting question.

Best wishes!

I, too, love this site and appreciate the information and activities. It is so helpful… I was wondering if you could add some expository writing activities.

Like these expository writing prompts or did you have something different in mind?

Karen Schonewise

THANKS so much. This site is great. I almost lost it on a student today who was trying to tell me theme was one word after I have spent a month teaching these juniors in high school that it is a sentence!!! This site is awesome!!

Ha ha. It’s funny you say that. I’ve gone back and forth with terminally educated adults about this. I think a Common Core ELA glossary (like the one that they have for mathematics) would go a long way in resolving this debate. I also think that the word motif better fits the “a theme is one word” thing. Anyway, thanks for visiting the site and taking the time to comment. Best wishes!

You are the best. I am at a loss of words oh how to express my gratitude to you and this website that you have created. AWESOME-RIFIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love the word that you invented. Thank you for visiting.

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Literary Essay Graphic Organizer

Plan a literary essay! Challenge your fourth graders to think about character traits and themes in this literary essay graphic organizer. To practice the writing process, students will outline the important parts of any essay—from the hook and thesis to a grand conclusion. This worksheet provides a great starting point for students as they jot down ideas and topics.

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Informative writing for grade 4

Research and essays.

These worksheets introduce students to informative writing , including research, note taking, recording sources and writing essays.

Writing Introductions : Write hooks and topic sentences.

Supporting Details : Write details supporting the main ideas.

Writing informative paragraphs : Incorporate facts and examples into the text.

Writing informative essays : Plan and write an essay.

Compare and contrast writing : Compare and contrast two items.

Research writing : Research, take notes and write.

Biography writing : Research and write about a famous person.

Informative writing prompts : Prompts for informative essays.

theme essay 4th grade

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50+ Tips, Tricks, and Ideas for Teaching 4th Grade

Brilliant ideas from brilliant teachers (like you).

Tips and tricks for teaching fourth grade including writing positive notes and letting students plan an assembly.

Are you new to teaching fourth grade and looking for inspo? Or have you been doing this for a while and you’re looking for ways to revamp what you’re already doing? We’ve got you! We’ve looked through our WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook and the web for some of the best tips for teaching fourth grade. We’ve organized the list by topic to make it easy to cruise for ideas. Let’s do this!

Getting Your Classroom Ready

1. classroom setup.

Need ideas to make sure your classroom is ready for your students? Here’s an excerpt from the book Responsive Classroom: What Every 4th Grade Teacher Needs To Know About Setting Up and Running a Classroom.

2. Try different classroom layouts

Long gone are the days of straight rows of desks lining the classroom.  Throw out your seating chart and try one of these ideas instead .

3. Fill your classroom library with these classic fourth grade books

Collage of 7 books for teaching 4th Grade

Teaching fourth grade involves a lot of reading! Here is a big list of our favorites.

4. Create interactive bulletin boards

Brit-Jeltema-standing-in-front-of-her-interactive-bulletin-board when teaching 4th grade

Have you ever heard of or tried interactive bulletin boards? Here’s an article from Brittany Jeltema and her tips for bulletin boards students can use . Plus, here are our favorite interactive bulletin boards for inspiration.

5. Get a jump start on lessons

Teacher planning and prep time are precious! It makes life a lot easier when you can purchase existing lessons, bundles, books, and pages. And why not support other teachers while you do it? Check out our favorite Teacher Pay Teachers sellers for fourth grade.

The First Days of School

6. introduce yourself creatively.

Make day one memorable by introducing yourself in a creative way, such as sending postcards over the summer. Here are our favorite creative teacher introduction ideas .

7. Make “Big Plans”

Students written plans on sticky notes displayed on a wall, as an idea for teaching 4th grade.

We love this start-of-the-year activity from Write On, Fourth Grade ! Start by reading Big Plans by Bob Shea and Lane Smith. Then on construction paper, have students create their own plans for fourth grade, for their school career, and for adulthood. Hang ’em up and label the wall “Our Big Plans”!

8. Set goals with your students

Have you ever heard the phrase “a goal without a plan is just a wish”? Let’s support our students in turning their wishes into actions with this goal-setting activity.

9. Establish an anti-bullying culture from day one

Download free and kid-centric anti-bullying printables from Kid Pointz to help your students understand the importance of avoiding peer pressure and handling bullies constructively. Plus check out our anti-bullying videos and anti-bullying books to share with your students.

“I also went to the dollar store and got these cute little ‘pledge’ cards that kids can sign at the beginning of the year to pledge that they won’t bully each other and will report bullying when they see it. It’s a great way to start the year!” —Jen B.

10. Establish a culture of kindness

Free kindness posters illustrated hand throwing confetti, as an idea for teaching 4th grade.

Print these free, downloadable classroom posters to remind your students that kindness matters most of all.

11. Build your students’ social-emotional skills

Teaching fourth grade means building SEL skills. Use these SEL read-alouds  to talk about everything from kindness to courage to trying your best.

12. Create classroom jobs for your students

Here are some creative classroom job ideas from our teacher community: tech support, environmental support, organizer, textbook coordinator, sanitation engineer, librarian, substitute, chief in charge, messenger, paper passer, supply clerk, IT technician, human resources officer, administrative assistant, waste management. Plus check out these creative classroom job charts .

13. Encourage students to make new friends and maintain existing friendships

Friendships are important to fourth graders. Help them figure out friendships and form new ones with these friendship videos and books about friendship .

14. Make a class time capsule

At the beginning of the year, have students write down their thoughts, expectations, goals, feelings, and predictions. Put them all in a decorated jar, seal it up, and then read them all in the last week of school.

15. Keep your students linked into the big picture of the lesson

Anchor chart that shows how teachers use lesson plans when teaching 4th grade.

We love this kid-friendly version of a teacher’s lesson plans . Put day-specific “Today I am …,” “So that I can …,” and “I’ll know I’ve got it if …” posters on your board.

16. Get rid of the boring worksheets

Instead, engage your fourth graders with:

  • “Thinking maps that students create.” —Aimee V.
  • “Brain-based activities and games.” —Joy W. (Check out these fourth grade brain breaks .)
  • “Foldables. Check out Dinah Zike for ideas!” —Dianne K.
  • “Interactive notebooks!” —Shanna J.

17. Use the walls for anchor charts instead of premade posters

anchor charts for teaching 4th grade

Check out our top fourth grade anchor charts for inspiration.

18. Ground your teaching in ABAR work

Learning for Justice is a website that offers free educational resources for all grade levels in order to engage and focus our learners and ourselves in community, collective action, and social justice. Bookmark this website so you have it all year long.

Ideas for Language Arts

19. incorporate daily writing prompts.

Four printed index cards for fourth grade.

We’ve gathered a big list of fourth grade writing prompts that you can download and use to have your students practice their writing skills.

20. Use paint chips to inspire sensory poetry

Red paint chip with poetry examples.

Let color work its inspiration for your fourth grade poets . Check out other educational uses for paint chips here!

21. Teach apostrophe usage with a strong visual

Shows teachers and students how to use apostrophes when teaching 4th grade

We like this one from Write On, Fourth Grade !

22. Teach the difference between tone and mood with a helpful anchor chart

An anchor chart that showcases mood vs. tone.

Practice applying the definitions by reading passages in class and asking students to identify the difference between tone and mood in each passage. Check out this helpful tone and mood anchor chart .

23. Teach how to use context clues to bridge into larger close-reading skills

Anchor chart for teachers about context clues when teaching 4th grade

We love this context clues anchor chart .

24. Teach the difference between literal and figurative meanings through writing and drawing

Take sentences from your class’s current text that use figurative language and have students (literally!) illustrate and explain the difference in the literal and figurative meanings of the expressions.

25. Try a vocabulary activity … or 15

Use RAFTs, try Vocabulary Jeopardy, and more with these vocabulary activities .

26. Help fourth graders find just the right word

Speaking of vocabulary, when teaching fourth grade, show students how to grow their vocabulary by spending time finding just the right word for their essay or story. Check out all the options for classroom thesauruses .

Ideas for Math

27. practice math skills with the most mathematical icebreaker ever.

This is a great first-day-of-school activity that doubles as both an icebreaker and a math review of last year’s skills. Students create a poster of math equations representing different aspects of who they are, and then they can get to know each other by solving the problems. Bonus: You’ll have instant wall art for Back-to-School Night! From Fourth Grade Fun in Florida .

28. Focus on fact fluency

Being able to add, subtract, multiply, and divide quickly and accurately will serve your fourth graders well. Spend some time each day practicing math facts with these effective teaching strategies .

29. Reinforce math skills with fun games

Check out all of these fantastic free math card games for fourth graders .

30. Learn about area and perimeter with robots

robot craft made from paper squares to practice area and perimeter

How fun is this robot ? Students apply their understanding of area and perimeter by creating different robots based on mathematical specifications provided to them. Buy a TPT robot lesson of your own.

31. Focus on fractions

If it’s not math fluency, it’s fractions. The better understanding fourth graders have of fractions, the better off they’ll be when the quantities get more complicated or the operations get sophisticated. We really love this pool noodle fractions hack for teaching fourth grade.

32. Teach the dreaded word problem

ways to teach word problems in math when teaching 4th grade

Use these word problem activities and strategies .

Ideas for Science

33. get hands-on with science.

Science is the perfect subject for kids to get down and dirty. Try these fourth grade science projects for inspiration.

34. Try daily STEM challenges

Four printout note cards for 4th Grade STEM Challenges

These  STEM challenges are designed with your fourth graders in mind. Try one each day or each week to get their minds thinking outside the box.

35. Teach the plant life cycle

Plant life cycle is always a fun science unit. You get to talk about growing, planting, and nature. Plus, students love digging in and getting their hands dirty when they plant seeds themselves. Here are our favorite activities for teaching plant life cycles .

36. Take a deep dive into ecosystems

animals from various ecosystems, including a cheetah and a bumble bee

Learn about specific animals and how climate change, conservation, and people’s decisions impact their lives. The World Wildlife Fund has lessons on animals from polar bears to monarch butterflies.

37. Teach electricity

It’s electrifyingly good fun!  Shock them with these electricity science experiments !

38. Explore animal habitats

Animal Habitat activities for teaching 4th grade

Ready to explore animal habitats around the world, from rain forests to deserts and everything in between? These fun animal habitat activities are just what you’re looking for.  Take a walk on the wild side!

Ideas for Social Studies

39. try social studies inquiry circles.

Address the required standards through inquiry-based learning. Here’s an inquiry-based learning how-to guide from the One Stop Teacher Shop. Watch your kids sink their teeth into the “thick versus thin” concept, and the Work Plan Form will help students take control of their own learning.

40. Add social justice books to your library

Here is a list of the Best Social Justice Books for Kids of All Ages ! Reminder: Books don’t have to be brand-new to be valuable. Check out your local library and Facebook groups, or buy used to save some bills.

41. Remind students that “all means all”

Learn about ALL people by including LGBTQ+ inclusive books in your social studies lessons.

42. Learn about heroes

Read biographies about famous people in history. Match books to holidays, like  Presidents’ Day  or  Black History Month.

43. Plan an assembly

a man at a school assembly doing a science experiment that makes a cloud of steam for teaching 4th grade

Source:  @jeffevansmagic

Teach your fourth graders how to bring a big project together by taking on a school assembly. Plan the assembly from start to finish; here are ideas to get you started.

44. Use online learning

There are some amazing websites out there for teaching social studies lessons.  Check out this big list of our favorites .

45. Take a field trip

Fourth grade field trips

The independence of 9- and 10-year-olds, coupled with grade-level focus on their state, makes for lots of fantastic options for fourth grade field trips .

Ideas for Classroom Organization

46. check homework three ways.

  • “Pick what’s most important about the lesson, not the small details, and grade that way. Don’t worry about spelling or grammar. The important thing is, did they understand the content?” — Megan P.
  • “For my gradebook, students receive credit for returning homework completed. I go around and mark them off, then I put the answers up and students correct it themselves. Then I go over any problems that the students request for me to explain.” — Montoya M.
  • “I have a box of clothespins with each kid’s name on them. They clip their pin to their homework and drop it into the homework file up front. It’s easy to tell who didn’t hand in homework because you just take a glance at the remaining clothespins! I set a two-minute timer for them to complete this so it doesn’t take too long, and my fourth graders do it in no time! You just have to practice and train them. Make a game out of ‘beating the timer’ without pushing or shoving.” — Jamie S.

47. Set up interactive, exciting centers in your classroom

Having centers, or workstations, in your fourth grade classroom allows students to work independently.

“When introducing a new independent activity, I usually do it in small groups first, so when put in the independent stations, they are able to do it without my help.” — Carol V.

“I have center folders that students keep their work in, and at the end of the cycle of centers, I grade the work as 100, 80, or 60 based upon what’s done and the quality. I give one center grade for each cycle.” — Gary F.

48. Make sure you’re supporting your students with disabilities

It’s likely that some of your fourth graders will have accommodations or modifications that you’re in charge of. One way to make sure you’re providing students with their accommodations is to make a note of which accommodations they need by their name on a discussion or participation tracker . This will help you feel confident that you’re helping each student access learning, and allow you to contribute insights at the IEP meeting.

Ideas for Classroom Management

49. quietly redirect.

Teachers use these STOP sign shape tags to STOP certain behavior.

Looking for a way to redirect your students without making it “a thing”? Hand one of these to a student who needs a reminder to focus and you’ll be in the clear. Just be sure to explain the why and how of this activity before you hand out your first one! Here are free printables from Rock and Teach , or make a more discrete design yourself on PowerPoint, Google Slides, or with just paper and a Sharpie.

50. Establish classroom community in the first days of school with heart maps

Blank heart map for teachers and students.

When teaching fourth grade, you can show your students how to express what matters most to them by illustrating and writing in these heart maps. Download a free template from Fourth Grade Lemonade .

51. Affirm your students daily

Teacher uses a sticky note to send daily affirmation to students.

We love this idea of leaving positive sticky notes for kids every day to encourage them and let them know you’re behind them 100%!

52. Teach executive functioning

examples of executive functioning reminder cards with the example of what you would do if you have homework and it is already late

Fourth graders are at the start of learning to do things independently, like really independently. Support students’ executive functioning skills, those skills that will help them manage classwork and organization throughout their lives, starting now. Check out the executive functioning skills that kids should learn in elementary school and how to teach executive functioning . Also, learn what it feels like to struggle with executive functioning in fourth grade .

53. Accept job applications

job applications that could be used in a fourth grade classroom

Try this classroom job board idea from Teach Create Motivate . Roll out classroom jobs, or add new ones by posting a job board and having students apply for jobs. Students will get important practice in writing skills and managing the feelings around getting or not getting the job they want.

Other Ideas

54. have a sense of humor.

Teaching fourth grade requires a sense of humor, both for yourself and your students. Poetry from Shel Silverstein and Jack Prelutsky hit right at fourth graders’ funny bones. Or try one of our fourth grade jokes to start the day .

55. Build positive relationships with parents

Here are 10 tips to make working with parents the easiest part of your job.

What are your top tips for teaching fourth grade? Come share in our WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook!

This master list of tips and lessons for teaching 4th grade will help veterans and newbies alike sail through the year.

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theme essay 4th grade

Teaching with a Five-Paragraph Essay Example

Looking for a five-paragraph essay example? Look and listen in as a fourth grade teacher models this strong writing structure for her students.

theme essay 4th grade

Ms. Sneed Grades Her Kids’ Paragraphs

As our favorite fourth grade teacher graded her class’s latest paragraphs, she let out a satisfied sigh. First they tackled paragraph structure. Then they learned to elaborate. Additionally, they improved their writing by varying sentences and using transitions. Now that they had the writing strategies down, her kids were ready to scaffold from one paragraph to the five-paragraph essay .

Purposefully tackling each genre of writing – then scaffolding from shorter to longer – was sure to work for her.

A Five-Paragraph Essay Example

Ms. Sneed turned and opened her laptop. With just a few clicks, she found it. Her favorite prompt, You Should Try It , asked kids to persuade others to try an activity – in five paragraphs.

Teaching Paragraph by Paragraph

The following Monday, Ms. Sneed stood in front of her class. “Today,” she said, “you will learn how to write a longer essay.”

Several kids looked a little unsure, but their teacher continued. “For now, I’ll take you through a five-paragraph essay example. That should ease your concerns.”

First Paragraph

Ms. Sneed projected a sample. “The first paragraph, or introduction, includes a thesis statement and supportive factual reasons.”

With the mention of a new term, thesis statement , more kids looked uncomfortable. Some squirmed in their seats.

“Now I know the term  thesis statement is new, but no worries! You know it as a topic sentence. However, the thesis is the main idea of a multi-paragraph composition.”

The teacher read the paragraph aloud. “Can anyone pick out the thesis for this persuasive essay?” she asked.

One student slowly raised his hand. “Wouldn’t you like to try water skiing?”

“Yes! Although it’s written as a question, this sentence offers an opinion. Furthermore, the entire essay supports this thesis. Can you find the author’s three supporting reasons?”

Using the five-paragraph essay example, the class soon established the supporting details too: improving health, impressing friends, and teaching them to ski.

When you use a five-paragraph essay example, study the first paragraph first. It establishes the thesis, or main idea, as well as key details.

Second Paragraph

“Now let’s look at the second paragraph,” Ms. Sneed said.

The second paragraph in the five-paragraph essay example discusses the first key detail. In this passage, it's about the benefits of water skiing to health.

“You identified one of the main details as health. As you can see, this paragraph expands on that reason.”

“That’s just what we were doing with one paragraph,” piped up a girl in the back row.

“Um-hm. True. But writing in five paragraphs gives you more room to elaborate.”

The kids seemed to relax in their seats. This wasn’t so bad after all.

Third Paragraph

With no further ado, she pulled up the third paragraph. “See, paragraph #3 discusses the second main supportive detail.”

In the third paragraph, another key detail, water skiing tricks, is discussed.

After they read the paragraph aloud, Ms. Sneed asked, “Who can find the topic sentence of this paragraph?”

“Isn’t it the first sentence?” said a boy with purple glasses.

Ms. Sneed nodded. “Easy peasy. The main idea of this paragraph, as we said before, is the second reason.”

Fourth Paragraph

For the fourth paragraph, Ms. Sneed tried a new tactic. “Okay, think-pair-share! Find the the topic sentences and smaller details that support it.” Her students knew what this meant. Immediately, they turned to their seat partners and began to discuss.

The fourth paragraph of the five-paragraph essay example explains the third key and final key detail: teaching others to water ski.

After a few minutes, groups began to share:

“The first sentence is the topic sentence again,” said the first spokesperson.

“And the details are the steps in teaching,” said the second.

“Ahh, a sequence paragraph inside a five-paragraph persuasive essay,” Ms. Sneed remarked. That famous teacher smile spread across her face.

Fifth Paragraph

“Here we have the final paragraph, or conclusion,” the teacher continued.

Beginning writers can frame their five-paragraph essays by repeating the thesis, key details, and a conclusion that matches the hook.

After she read the paragraph aloud, Ms. Sneed pointed out the restated thesis statement and details. “It’s a repeat of the first paragraph in different words.”

A Five-Paragraph Essay Example – and a Hamburger!

Quickly, strode toward the board. She picked up a marker and sketched a hamburger with three patties. “Does this look familiar?”

Everyone smiled and nodded. Ms. Sneed’s favorite analogy for an writing a paragraph !

“We just used this again,” their teacher said. “The top bun is the first paragraph. It introduces the main idea with a thesis statement and supporting details. The first hamburger patty explores the first detail; the second, the second; and the third, the third! Finally, the bottom bun wraps it all up with a restatement of the thesis and details. This helps you write, as well as find the main idea and supporting details .”

“It’s just a giant version of the paragraph,” said a small girl in the front corner.

“Yep,” replied Ms. Sneed. “Not hard at all – if you know what you’re doing. Over the next few months, we’ll write more of these essays in our ELA block . Then you’ll feel even more confident.”

theme essay 4th grade

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COMMENTS

  1. 115 Exciting 4th Grade Writing Prompts for 2024 (Free Slides!)

    115 Exciting 4th Grade Writing Prompts for 2024 (Free Slides!) Journal writing, essay topics, story starters, and much more! By We Are Teachers Staff. Aug 28, 2024. Fourth grade is a time for students to continue to hone their writing chops as they put to use the skills they've learned and gain confidence in their abilities.

  2. ELA G4: Writing an Essay on Theme

    Bilingual Language Progressions. These resources, developed by the New York State Education Department, provide standard-level scaffolding suggestions for English Language Learners (ELLs) to help them meet grade-level demands. Each resource contains scaffolds at multiple levels of language acquisition and describes the linguistic demands of the ...

  3. 4th Grade Writing Prompts

    When explaining a process, prompt students to outline the steps in a logical order. Encourage your fourth graders to build their essay-writing skills using these topic ideas. Bullied. Explain how you would handle being bullied and the steps you would take to stop a bully. Mad Skills.

  4. 101 Interesting Persuasive Essay Topics for Kids and Teens

    These persuasive essay topics provide lots of scope for students of all ages. Is a taco a sandwich? Use your words to sway the reader. Skip to main content. ... All Grades K-5 All Grades 6-12 PreK 6th Grade Kindergarten 7th Grade 1st Grade 8th Grade 2nd Grade 9th Grade 3rd Grade 10th Grade 4th Grade 11th Grade 5th Grade 12th Grade.

  5. How to Find the Theme of the Story

    At this point, students have had experience with: #1: Determining the important events in the plot. #3: Learning about the characters. What has been added is: #2: Identifying the big ideas. #4: Writing a summary that reveals the theme. This is a skill that teachers need to model.

  6. How to Write A 4th Grade Level Essay

    Include interesting facts about this animal in your essay. To answer this, your child will have to pick an animal they like and write about it in detail. This would include things like their habitat, behavior, physical features, and any other facts about them. For example, they may write about lions, describing their fur and manes, their ...

  7. Writing Topics

    Writing Topics. Do you want to inspire your students to write great narratives, essays, and reports? Check out these grade-specific writing topics organized by mode (explanatory, creative, and so on). Or search for writing topics that relate to a theme, such as "life" or "animals" or "family.".

  8. 4 Fabulous Ideas for Teaching Theme

    This is a fun story with colorful illustrations. Your students will quickly recognize the theme of "Always be yourself" in this humorous story. This is a great choice for those struggling with theme. . . . The Junkyard Wonders. Finally, any of Patricia Polacco books are wonderful choices when teaching theme.

  9. Fourth Grade English Language Arts Common Core State Standards

    Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 4 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. L.4.4.A. Use context (e.g., definitions, examples, or restatements in text) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

  10. 4th Grade Essay Writing Worksheets & Free Printables

    Fourth Grade Essay Writing worksheets and printables that help children practice key skills. Browse a large selection of Fourth Grade Essay Writing worksheets at Education.com!

  11. 5 Fun & Exciting Tips for Teaching Theme in Fourth Grade

    Teaching Theme in 4th Grade - 5 Fun & Exciting Tips. ELA is so much fun to teach. Reading short stories, fables, and novels with your class is such an amazing experience. Your students have likely experienced a few years of learning about summarizing, main idea and inferencing. But identifying the theme might be something fairly new for them ...

  12. Writing a Literary Essay: Analyzing a Model

    Writing a Literary Essay: Analyzing a Model. These are the CCS Standards addressed in this lesson: RL.4.1: Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text. RL.4.2: Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text.

  13. End-of-Unit 2 Assessment: Writing a Literary Essay about a Theme in The

    In Work Time A, students write an on-demand essay about another theme in The Hope Chest for the end of unit assessment (RL.4.1, RL.4.2, W.4.2, W.4.4, W.4.6). After the assessment, students use the Tracking Progress: Informative Writing recording form to formally keep track of and reflect on their own learning across all four modules.

  14. Essay for Class 4 Children in English

    Essay on Holi for Class 4. Essay on Winter Season for Class 4. Essay on Christmas for Class 4. Essay on Rose Flower for Class 4. Essay on Pollution for Class 4. Essay on Badminton for Class 4. My Favourite Book Essay for Class 4. Essay on Honesty for Class 4. Health is Wealth Essay for Class 4.

  15. Theme Worksheets

    Understanding Theme with Fables 1. This worksheet features classic fables by Aesop. I have removed the explicitly stated morals. Students must draw conclusions to infer the meaning or theme of the fables. This worksheet is 4-pages and has 15 problems. Suggested reading level for this text: Grade 4-8.

  16. Narrative writing worksheets for grade 4

    Small moments writing: write in great detail about a specific moment. Point of view: first, second and third person. Writing personal narratives: organize and write a personal recollection. Narrative writing practice: tying together characters, setting and plot. Narrative writing prompts: creative prompts for grade 4 students.

  17. Literary Essay Graphic Organizer

    Challenge your fourth graders to think about character traits and themes in this literary essay graphic organizer. To practice the writing process, students will outline the important parts of any essay—from the hook and thesis to a grand conclusion. This worksheet provides a great starting point for students as they jot down ideas and topics.

  18. 34 Compelling Compare and Contrast Essay Examples

    A good compare and contrast essay example, like the ones here, explores the similarities and differences between two or more subjects. Topics cover education, technology, pop culture, sports, animals, and more. ... All Grades K-5 All Grades 6-12 PreK 6th Grade Kindergarten 7th Grade 1st Grade 8th Grade 2nd Grade 9th Grade 3rd Grade 10th Grade ...

  19. PDF Grade 4 English Language Arts/Literacy Literary Analysis Task 2018

    ysis Task2018 Released Items2018 Released Items: Grade 4 Literary Analysis TaskThe Literary Ana. ysis Task requires students to read two literary texts that are purposely paired. Students read the texts, answer ques. ions for each text and for the texts as a pair, and then write an analytic essay.The 2018 blueprint for grade 4 Literary Analysis ...

  20. Student Writing Models

    Student Models. When you need an example written by a student, check out our vast collection of free student models. Scroll through the list, or search for a mode of writing such as "explanatory" or "persuasive.".

  21. Informative writing worksheets for grade 4

    Research and essays. These worksheets introduce students to informative writing, including research, note taking, recording sources and writing essays. Writing Introductions: Write hooks and topic sentences. Supporting Details: Write details supporting the main ideas. Writing informative paragraphs: Incorporate facts and examples into the text.

  22. 50+ Tips, Tricks, and Ideas for Teaching 4th Grade

    Have a sense of humor. Teaching fourth grade requires a sense of humor, both for yourself and your students. Poetry from Shel Silverstein and Jack Prelutsky hit right at fourth graders' funny bones. Or try one of our fourth grade jokes to start the day. 55. Build positive relationships with parents.

  23. Teaching with a Five-Paragraph Essay Example

    Teaching Paragraph by Paragraph. The following Monday, Ms. Sneed stood in front of her class. "Today," she said, "you will learn how to write a longer essay.". Several kids looked a little unsure, but their teacher continued. "For now, I'll take you through a five-paragraph essay example.

  24. Free 4th grade writing-essays outlines

    4th and 5th Back to School Expository Essay & Rubric B.E.S.T. Text-Based August. FloridaTeachVibes. $2.25 $2.99. 4th Grade Yearlong Grammar Review Scope & Sequence Worksheets Lessons Activities. Can't Stop Smiling. $32.00 $60.00. 4th Grade Math Mega Bundle-Enrichment,Retro Vocab Posters, Test Reviews - Eureka.